Last year’s Whitetail Deer Festival was a huge success. the crowd was huge. Thanks to your support, we raised enough money to paint the floor in the Rarden Gymnasium Renovation Project…about $3700. Now those hard earned heating dollars won’t escape out the roof. The gymnasium is available now for rental for basketball playing, cornhole tournaments, 4H activities, country music shows, dances, etc, If you’ve not checked it out yet, you’ll be surprised at the work thats taken place…again, almost entirely on volunteer labor. If you’re interested in renting these facilities, contact:  Mayor, Delbert Copas at 740-372-5412
Also, we have budgeted aprox $1700 for improved upgrade of electric service on the North Park. This will give us approx 400 amps through out each side. Also, we are in the process of having a new sign painted and erected in at the entrance of the Rarden Community Center and Gymnasium. This will hopefully be installed by Festival weekend.
As far as other Rarden Community Park projects go, We still want to extend the size of the Basketball Courts with two additional goals, add an additional 2″ of new asphalt paving on the walking track and court, seal and stripe both parking lots, and purchase new cooking grills for the new south shelter constructed last year on the south side. As you can see when you’re in the park, the new addition this year is the Gazebo.
A Bulldog Committee funded the Gazebo. The Festival funds help finance the concrete footers and Peebles Masonic Lodge donated monies to help with landscaping.
With growth of our Park, comes increased maintenance costs and upkeep. The money donated by folks reserving both shelters for reunions, parties, etc. is a big part of keeping the grass trimmed, weedeating done, mulching, and controlled spraying each year around the fences, and playground equipment.  The John Deere tractor that is used was funded entirely from Festival funds a few years ago and is dedicated solely to the Rarden Community Park. Also, all water and electric as well as portalet costs are funded from the festival proceeds.
We are all very appreciative of our young people doing their part to keep our Park clean and vandalism free. And a special thanks to the 4-H youth group (The Rarden Rivals) that spent hours cleaning, turning table tops, and scrubing shelter floors, all as a volunteer group to help keep our park clean and enjoyable. It’s clear that all our citizens enjoy the facilities and do their part to keep it maintained for the future of their children. If you would like to volunteer as a park helper or Festival helper, just contact myself or any Rarden Festival Committee member…..just picking occasional litter while walking or using the playground is a big help in maintaining its clean appearance.
If you’re unable to help physically, but would like to contribute financially, all donations are sincerely appreciated and may be mailed to Rarden Park Fund, PO Box 3  Rarden, Ohio 45671
Thanks to all our volunteers for your continued support of our Park, the Whitetail Deer Festival, and the Rarden Community……

Ronald Syroney,  Chairman
Rarden Festival Committee, Inc

Festival Panoramic – Early Sunday, September 26th 2004